


coming home

by serenascampbell



Category: The Fosters (TV 2013)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-28
Updated: 2014-08-28
Packaged: 2018-02-15 03:24:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2213991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serenascampbell/pseuds/serenascampbell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>missing scenes from Padre, slight extensions - just generally fluffy moments.</p>
            </blockquote>





	coming home

“Do you know that most of the time, I feel like I've got five separate hearts running around outside of me?” Stef spoke honestly, looking closely at Callie's confused expression. “With you kids.”

Stef wrapped her arms around Callie tightly and held her while she cried, she felt the young girl relax against and rest her own arms on Stef's back. The woman whispered calming reassurances as Callie sobbed, breathing heavily. 

“I don't want to live on my own.” Callie wept, burrowing her face in Stef's shoulder guiltily. Suddenly the teen stiffened against Stef's hold and she stopped crying, sighing deeply before pulling away from the older woman. “I need to go and apologize to Lena, sorry.”

“Stop, you know that you don't have to. You know that we want you here with us, right?” Stef squeezed her daughter's hand tightly as she stood up, smiling as she nodded whole-heartedly. 

Callie wiped her face and straightened herself out before going to find Lena. Callie found her upstairs sat on the young girl's bed with a numbness in her expression that made the teen feel guilty. 

“I'm sorry Lena.” Callie gnawed at her lip anxiously, making her way slowly towards the bed. “I shouldn't have acted like that.” 

“Come here baby, it's okay.” Lena replied faux-happily but there was still no life in her eyes. Walking towards her, Callie sat close beside her on the bed and laid her hands awkardly in her lap. “Were you happy with us?”

The teen felt like she was about to be sick when she saw the pain in her foster mother's eyes and felt the overwhelming guilt. 

“Happier than I've ever been in my entire life.” Callie responded calmly. “Please don't ever think that this has anything to do with that. Please Lena.” 

“There is no other reason Callie, if you were happy here then you wouldn't want to leave.” Lena felt the tear run down her face before she could even stop it – she tried her best not to cry in front of the kids, especially not because of them. 

“I don't want to leave. I have to. There's a difference.” Lena watched the girl run her thumb slowly against Lena's cheek and wipe away the tear. “Please don't cry.” 

“Answer me honestly, I won't tell Bill. I won't even tell Stef – is it because of Brandon?” There was more curiosity than anything else in Lena's expression as she questioned the girl quietly. 

“NO! Really, he's been nice to me, he's been a great brother to me. I was never attracted to him in that way, it was something that happened that we both regretted straight away.” The candor in her voice was undeniable, there was no questioning her honesty in that moment. “I can't come back because I can't do this. This entire family thing, it's like Stef said – I shut myself off so that I don't get attached. That's the way I'm used to living, it's the only way I can.” 

“You're already attached Callie, to Jude. How are you going to cope without him in your everyday life? You'll kid yourself that you can cope without him for a while then you'll realize you need him.” Lena looked closely at her daughter with fear in her eyes as she spoke, fear for her little girl. “I understand that you have a fear of losing people, but we're not going anywhere.” 

“Do you know that even though it's been months since Stef's accident – when I woke up this morning I had to take five minutes of telling myself not to cry, like I have everyday since it happened because if I do then I'm admitting I can't live without you guys. That's not something I can do.” Callie retorted bluntly, feeling her eyes burning as she held back the tears that threatened to fall. “Everybody that I care about leaves me – so I don't let myself care.”

“You can't live like that baby, we aren't ever leaving you! Even if you want us to.” Lena pulled the girl in to a tight hug and felt the girl start crying against her. “It's okay to care.”

Callie started to sob loudly and buried her head in Lena's hair to quieten herself. 

“Callie? Are you okay?” Mariana shouted, and the two women heard her running down the hallway towards the bedroom. “Oh, I thought you were alone in here, sorry.”

She turned awkwardly to walk back out, closing the door behind her to leave them alone and head to the bathroom. 

“Told you there were people that cared.” Lena whispered, smiling widely. 

“I want to come home Mama.” Callie cried, snuggling tighter in to her mother and deeply inhaling her familiar scent. Lena felt her eyes welling up and she pursed her lips slightly. 

“You are home baby.” There was a softness in Lena's tone that was new to Callie, maybe it was a voice she only used when people were upset. She planted a gentle kiss against her daughter's temple and began to pull away slightly. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Callie pulled back and stood up slowly before smiling at her Mom and heading back out of the room. 

She walked towards the bathroom and tried the handle, finding it open with Mari inside. She had streaks of mascara down her face that she was trying to fix and she looked surprised to see Callie walk in. 

“Hey, are you alright Mariana?” Callie asked concernedly, walking over to hug her sister and grinning at her. “Want to tell me what's happening?”

“I just...I don't get why Mom's trying to act like she's fine. And she was crying when she came back inside after talking to you, I'm just worried about her.” Mariana replied quietly, still scrubbing violently at the black on her cheeks. 

“Mom's fine – I promise. Mama's taking good care of her, she just doesn't want to show you guys that she's hurt...and anyway I'm going to be around to help out with everything soon.” Callie responded sweetly, taking the wad of tissue from Mariana and running it under the tap. 

Mariana's face looked confused at first but then there was excitement in her eyes and she grinned widely, with a questioning look. 

“I hope you haven't enjoyed having no room mate too much.” Callie answered softly, smiling at her sister. “As long as you'll all still have me that is.” 

Eventually the two sorted themselves out and prepared to go back downstairs, walking towards the door Mariana grabbed at Callie's arm suddenly making her turn around. 

“You called them Mom.” She exclaimed excitedly, still whispering though it did not cloud her ecstasy. Callie gave her a small nod before turning to walk downstairs with her sister close behind her. 

The two girls went in their separate directions, Callie headed to find her moms and finding them stood close to one another in a corner. As soon as Stef saw her, she raised her eyebrows expectantly and Callie could tell that Lena had already told her. 

She engulfed the blonde in a warm hug, pulling her tight enough that there was no space between them and leant up to her ear. 

“If you still want me.” Callie whispered hopefully, smiling against her mother's shoulder as she felt a reassuring squeeze. “I love you Mom.” 

“I love you too honey.” Stef whispered back with a wide grin on her face as she pulled away to hold her daughter at arms length. “But you can tell Mariana you want your bed back.”

“She already knows, I found her and she was upset, it kind of slipped out.” Callie answered with a grin until she saw the concern in her Mom's face. “She's fine now, don't worry. I sorted it.” 

“God, you're so amazing. Aren't you!”


End file.
